


Team Bravo a.k.a. Team Beasts

by vaderina



Series: Team Beasts [1]
Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Military, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bottom Original Percival Graves, F/M, M/M, Slow Burn, Sniper!Newt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-23
Updated: 2017-03-20
Packaged: 2018-09-26 11:38:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 16,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9894935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vaderina/pseuds/vaderina
Summary: Percival Graves is asked to head up a small, eccentric strike team to capture Grindelwald. He knew Team Beasts was going to be a collection of unique people with special skills but nothing could have prepared him for a sniper with a collection of animals living in his quarters, the demolitions expert and the linguistic specialist shacking up or that this eclectic group of people is going to feel as close to family as he has found in years.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Not beta read.  
> Characters don't belong to me, only the mistakes and typos.
> 
> I've stuck some warnings up in advance. This is a military AU so expect some blood, some heartbreak, swearing and of course, some smut.  
> I know nothing about military or combat situations, all my knowledge has come from the wonders of the internet.
> 
> I will try to update at least once a week though my aim is every Thursday and Monday if all goes well.

Percival sat outside the office and tried to reign in his inner turmoil. It was going to be his first assignment back after the Grindelwald fiasco and the General had requested him specifically. The door slowly opened and a secretary stuck her head out.

“The General will see you now.” she said and disappeared back behind the door, holding it open. Percival pushed himself up from the chair with a grimace, his knee was still giving him trouble at times and subtly wiped his palms on his trousers. He collected himself and strode into the room. The door behind the secretary’s desk was also open and she gestured him through.

“Lieutenant-General Graves.”

“General Scamander, Sir.” Percival replied tersely. The door shut behind him and the man sat at the desk lost his air of superiority.

“Percy. Good to see you again.”

“Theseus, you asked for me. What gives?” Percival relaxed as he slumped in a chair.

“We have a new lead on Grindelwald.” Theseus didn’t bother sugar coating the facts, they were both war hardened men who didn’t need cushioning. Percival still shivered at the words though. He’d spent 6 weeks as the man’s “guest” and he had both physical and mental scars from it. “We thought that your unique insight into the man might help capture him for good. There’s a small team near his location that need a Captain. You’d retain your pay and rank but you would be leading a small, specialised team instead of commanding corps. What you say, you in?”

Percival hummed and eyed the folder Theseus was thumbing the foxed edge of.

“Needless to say it’s a black ops, possibly wet works situation. If you see the chance to take Grindelwald out, you take it. I understand if you don’t want to take the job, the bastard did a number on you after all. If you say no then we’ll never mention this conversation again. You’ll be free to return home with an honourable discharge.” Theseus pushed on. Percival closed his eyes. The time he spent at home during and after his recovery had been almost hell. He found that despite everything he missed the camaraderie, the company of his officers and the adrenaline that came with serving on the front line. His house felt too small, too quiet and so isolated.

“Is that the personnel file?” he gestured at the folder. He got a nod in return so he stuck his hand out. Immediately it was sent sliding across the desk towards him.

“I think you’ll find a few familiar faces in there. In formal settings known as Team Bravo though mostly we just call them Team Beasts.” Theseus grinned. Percival flipped the file open.

“Tina Goldstein?” he asked surprised. She’d been on the raid team when he’d been found. Competent woman with the capability to go far though has bit of a temper on her.

“Portpentina “Tina” Goldstein. She’s the current acting Captain, good all-rounder and gets work done.” Theseus commented as Percival flipped the page. A blonde woman stared back from the picture.

“Queenie Goldstein, her little sister.” Theseus helpfully continued. Percival gave him a surprised look. As far as he knew siblings were not allowed to be on the same team.

“Separately they’re brilliant but together they are a force to be reckoned with. Queenie is the one with an in with the locals and linguistic specialist. That woman could charm a habit off a nun if she chose to. She’s also the one half of caretaker of the group. You won’t go hungry if she’s around.”

Percival turned the page again. A portly faced man smiled in the photograph.

“Jacob Kowalski.” he read.

“The other half of the cooks, his pastries are to die for. Quite literally the other half if rumour is to be believed. The wedding is meant to be when they’re both back on home soil. He wanted to give her a proper wedding. Jacob is the demolitions expert and bombs specialist. You need to make anything go boom he is your man.”

Again Percival nodded staring at the page. He knew that a file will tell him nothing about these people but he looked all the same, trying to glean hints of personality from records, the pictures and the way Theseus spoke of each person. The next photo startled him. It was a young boy - he was loath to call him a man - with the most unfortunate haircut. He looked gaunt and haunted.

“Don’t let the photo put you off,” Theseus laughed, “Credence Barebone. The kid is the communications specialist and a genius. He’ll hack anything, get messages out in the most impossible of circumstances and intercept even the most well-hidden of messages. It’s thanks to him we know where Grindelwald is.”

“He looks so…” Percival didn’t know what to say.

“Old photo. Kid came from an abusive foster home. Sought refuge in the army as so many do. He’s got a better haircut since and he’s filled out some.”

“If you say so.” Percival wasn’t convinced.

“I do.” He flipped to the last page of the file and blinked in surprise. At first glance a younger and slimmer looking Theseus stared up at him.

“Newton “Newt” Scamander. Specialist sniper,” Theseus announced obviously trying to keep pride out of his voice, “and my little brother.”

There was nothing Percival could say to that. He gave the sheet just as much attention as the others, trying to ignore the defiance radiating from the younger Scamander’s image before he flipped the file closed and pushed it back towards Theseus. Silence settled heavily around them.

“If, and that’s still a big if, I take this assignment, where am I headed to and when?” he finally asked. Theseus laughed.

“Your plane leaves tomorrow at oh-five hundred hours. I can’t tell you where you’re going but take sun cream and make peace with never getting sand out of your underwear ever again.”

“Sounds like a dream holiday.” Percival groused. He pushed himself up from the table. “I’ll go get packing.”

“Welcome to Team Beasts, Captain.”

He’d just reached for the door when Theseus’ voice piped up much more serious this time.

“Hey Percy?”

“Yeah?”

“I know I don’t need to say this but be careful. And. Look after them, especially Newt.”

“Of course.” Percival’s hand rested on the door handle. He looked back at the man sitting behind the desk.

“Good bye, General.”

“Captain.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not beta read.  
> Characters don't belong to me, only the mistakes and typos.

The helicopter landed a small distance from the camp. Percival ducked out of the vehicle and slung his bag over his shoulder. There was nobody there to greet him which was unusual. He was sure the team had been notified of his arrival. Sand kicked up around him as the helicopter took back up into the air. A slender figure came running towards him from the camp, hands still fumbling to do up the last button on their top.

“Captain Graves, Sir.” Tina saluted him as soon as she was stood at attention in front of him.

“At ease.” he nodded, eyes drawn back to the camp they had set up. Tina fell in step beside him.

“We’re just getting dinner ready. We weren’t sure when you were getting here sir. I’ll let Newt know to put on a few more potatoes. It was his turn to cook tonight.”

“Goldstein.” Percival barked. He’d had a long day of travelling in a military cargo plane followed by the bumpiest ride in a jeep to a helicopter. He was not in the mood to play nice, he just wanted to get to his bunk and sleep for a week. It was times like this when Percival questioned his sanity for ever agreeing to come back to the military. Tina’s mouth snapped shut next to him.

“Just show me where my bunk is. I’ll leave introductions to tomorrow.” he growled.

“Very well sir.” Tina veered off their original path to a secluded area with three smaller tents set up.

“You’re in the one on the left. But Sir…” Percival cut her off with a look and headed into the tent. It was mostly what he had expected, fairly basic, two camp beds set up on either side. Though he’d never seen a tent more messy. He remembered his cadet days when even a small wrinkle in the corner of a pillow would be enough for the whole squadron to be doing extra laps on the field. This in front of him, had it been his he would have been kicked out before he could even apologise. There were clothes stuffed under the bed in a pile, a few books were strewn all over the place. Paper and half written notes were scrunched and scattered through the space. Letters and postcards were stuck to the walls of the tent. It was a filthy mess. Percival was just about ready to despair when the bundle of clothes under the bed moved. A pair of green eyes peered over the side of its nest. Percival backed away and sat on what he assumed to be his bed. An indignant woof rang out as the bed moved under him. A black dog shot off the bed and out of the tent with a high whine. A blur of sandy fur took off after him from the nest of clothes. Percival held his head in his hands in absolute dejection. If he wasn’t mistaken a stray dog had been sleeping on his bed and was now being chased by a sand cat which had a nest under the other bed. When he thought things couldn’t get any worse he felt a breeze from the entrance of the tent. He looked up and found that there was no end of surprises in this life. A donkey stared balefully at him from the entrance flap. Something in Percival snapped.

“Out.” he growled and flapped his hands towards the animal. Team Beast suddenly seemed like an appropriate name. The donkey didn’t move. Percival rose and started shooing the animal away. He was going to get it to the edge of the camp and set it off into the wild. A donkey had no place in camp like this. He was half way through the camp, the donkey seemingly reluctant to take his threats seriously when a few members of his team came out of another, larger tent.

“Dougal.” Scamander cried and rushed between him and the donkey.

“What were you trying to do to him?” his voice was full of hostile accusation.

“Excuse me?” Percival was not used to such insubordination.

“Why were you harassing Dougal?” Scamander’s hand reached up to scratch the donkey behind the ear and murmured reassuring nonsense at it. Kowalski and the younger Goldstein stared at him.

“Dougal?” Percival’s mind had stuttered to a halt. Scamander shot him a look as though he were the insane one.

“Yes. Dougal. He helps with moving things round camp and the shopping.”

“This camp is a disgrace.” Percival ground out. He’d had enough already. All he wanted was to sleep, not to start walking round  a petting zoo with people who thought he was the strange one.

“Oh honey.” Queenie started.

“I am not your honey.” Percival snapped. An uncomfortable silence descended on the group. Scamander carried on petting the infernal donkey, his back partially turned. That’s when Percival noticed something moving on the man’s shoulder.

“Hold very still.” he warned, hand reaching up to swat the scorpion off Scamander’s shoulder. Before he could flick his wrist Scamander twisted away from his reach, a hand cupped protectively over his shoulder.

“Leave Pickett alone!” he cried out. Percival could only stare at the madman that was meant to be his sniper.

“Seriously?” is all he could ask. Once again the rest of the team looked at him like he’d suddenly sprouted a second head. “A bloody disgrace. Tomorrow we’re cleaning this camp out.” he growled and stalked back to his tent. He could hear soft muttering outside as the others bid each other goodnight. Percival stayed firmly facing the tent wall as his bunkmate got ready for bed. He cast a sly glance behind him and struggled to hold in a groan. Of course it was Scamander he had to share bunks with. A quiet settled over the camp as people bedded down for the night. Percival held his breath when the tent flap opened slightly but other than a small snuffle and a huff of laugh from Scamander nothing happened. He hoped he wasn’t going to wake up with a scorpion on his face. Before he knew it Percival was asleep.

There were better things to wake up to than warm breath in his face and a wet tongue slobbering on his cheek. Percival shot out of bed to find that the black stray dog was sat staring at him, panting with an almost grin on his face. Scamander was nowhere to be seen even though the sun was only just peeking up over the horizon. Percival got ready, made his bed and noted with dismay that the other side of the tent was just as messy as before. He was going to have to instil a proper sense of decorum in this team it would seem. With little effort he found the mess tent, it had a few crates set up as chairs around what looked like a home assembled table just large enough for 6. A quiet hush descended as soon as he stepped in. The occupants at the table stared at him. They were all dressed to a certain degree but it wasn’t the sharp and ready Percival had come to expect of his men. He held back a sigh and without saying anything went to get himself a portion of food. Only, there were no portions. There were pastries laid out along with a few cooked sausages, bacon and a jug of milk. He stared for a moment before grabbing a pastry at random to go with the sausage.

“The pastries were made a few days ago so may not be their best.” Jacob broke the silence. “Sir.” he hurriedly tacked on at the end.

“The milk is from Susan, she tend to run a bit sweeter than the others. Newt brought it in this morning.” Queenie chirped in. Percival nodded and looked at the table. Immediately Credence shifted over to make more room.

“Thanks.” Percival grunted. He took a sip of milk and frowned. He’d never been particularly fond of goat’s milk and the unexpected taste was almost rancid in his mouth. To disguise his disgust he quickly shoved the pastry in his mouth. That was an entirely different experience. Even though it was a little stale, the flavour still melted on his tongue in a moment of blissful heaven. Something must have shown on his face because Queenie let out a delighted chuckle.

“Jacob does wonders with the dough.” Before any conversation could arise the tent flap opened and Tina came in followed closely by Scamander. Percival’s eyes narrowed. He knew Queenie and Jacob were an item, they even shared a bunk which went against all regulations on gender separation that he knew. However he hadn’t considered Tina and Scamander until now. Why Tina shared a tent with Credence was beyond him. Unless nobody could tolerate all the animals Scamander seemed to insist on keeping in the tent. Typical that Percival would draw the short straw there, he briefly wondered if he could change the sleeping arrangements and let Scamander pair up with Jacob. He’d bunk with Credence, the kid seemed like the quiet type and the sisters could share. That would be much more in line with regulations.

Scamander and Tina’s chatter dried up when they saw him. Tina was dressed properly Percival was relieved to note. However Scamander was an absolute mess. His hair flopped into his eyes, his trousers had more holes and mud on it than actual material and his t-shirt was a few sizes too big. Who knew where he ended up getting mud from in the desert. Percival preferred not to linger on that thought for too long. The sand cat from the night before sauntered in and with simple elegance hopped up onto the table. Everyone looked at him with bated breath. Tina held Scamander back from rushing to the cat’s rescue. Percival closed his eyes and willed the cat to disappear by the time he opened them again. Unfortunately he had no such luck and the cat was still there when he looked. He knew it wouldn’t do to blow up about this, he’d made a bad enough impression yesterday evening. Decision made he sighed.

“Please no animals in the mess.” he said evenly and deposited the cat on the floor gently. A collective sigh went up from the others and Scamander gently pushed the cat back out of the tent. Percival could have sworn he called it Gertrude but decided to ignore it in favour of eating. As the other two sat down, Tina next to him and Scamander opposite her the table became comfortably cramped. It reminded Percival of his first tour when he’d still been naïve and full of ideas. He’d quickly become disillusioned and realistic but those first few weeks he still remembered fondly. His almost good mood rapidly evaporated when he saw Scamander take a piece of sausage and place it on his shoulder. Percival gawped at the man, why would he want a piece of sausage on his shoulder? Then he saw the scorpion scuttle up over the slope of the man’s shoulder, pick up the sausage in a pincer and scuttle back wherever it had come from. All this time Scamander stared at him challengingly. Percival didn’t say anything, just finished his breakfast and walked away from the table. He knew which fights were worth picking and this one wasn’t one of them. Perhaps with time he’ll be able to convince the other man to leave his menagerie back in the wild.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not beta read.  
> Don't own the characters, only the typos and mistakes.
> 
> I'm super excited that I have all of this written now - will still try to post on Thursdays and Mondays if I can wait it out. It is terribly tempting to put up chapters sooner though.
> 
> Please read the End Notes for warnings (mild spoilers)! Be safe people.

They were due for a scouting patrol. Credence had identified a few possible locations of Grindelwald’s lair and outposts. They were going to leave him and Queenie in charge of the camp and the others were to head out. After a quick briefing where everyone was brought up to speed Percival sent them to get ready. He and Tina were dressed ready for the day but the others were woefully lacking in the preparedness department. After breakfast Scamander had seemed to mellow a little towards him and it got Percival pondering. All the others had quickly and firmly been assigned their first names in his mind except the sniper. Whether it was the initial irritation at the state of the tent or his attitude towards looking like a competent member of the team or his almost unhealthy obsession with animals Percival wasn’t sure. The back of his mind whispered about boyish good looks, an obvious competence (or he wouldn’t be on this team) and Theseus asking him to protect him. However he ignored those voices and the suggestions that he kept his distance so he didn’t become involved. He would have done rather well at denying any such thoughts too were it not for the fact that Newt came ambling back with an easy gate dressed ready for patrol. He had a tac-vest hugging his chest, a sniper rifle slung over one shoulder while a few other guns and grenades hung from the belt around his hips. His sand coloured helmet hung loose from nimble fingers. The only thing that detracted from the whole look was the bloody scorpion clinging on to the strap on his shoulder. Jacob bumbled back in with his own gear on his back. Percival nodded at them sharply and led them to the jeep. He tried very hard to ignore the fact that the black dog from the tent had a harness with pockets stuffed full of who knew what and that it was now sitting in the back of the car amongst their bags. Tina drove to their destination, stopping to drop Scamander and his pets off at his perch before continuing on to their drop-off point.

Everyone progressed quietly, Scamander giving directions and suggestions on potential things to check out every now and then. Percival was just about relaxing into the familiar monotony when Scamander suddenly perked up.

“Oh hello.” his voice had an as of yet unheard soft quality to it. “Who are you then?”

“Scamander report.” Percival tensed.

“You’re beautiful.” Scamander completely ignored him. Percival began to worry. “What’s happened to you then? Your wing looks sore. Can I have a look?”

Wing? Percival felt his blood boil. They were out on patrol and Scamander was seriously befriending the local wildlife.

“Imma call you Frank.” Scamander announced. Percival almost tripped over a rock in his rage.

“No, you need to leave Pickett alone. He’s your friend.”

“SCAMANDER.” Percival bellowed.

“Yes?” there was an innocent nonchalance in his voice now.

“Would you leave the fucking animals alone and do your fucking job?”

“Sure. I’m just going to sit Frank on Niffy’s harness. You may want to head in the two o’clock direction. There’s an outcrop there that looks suspect.”

“Niffy?”

“The dog, sir.” Tina cut in. “Newt knows what he’s doing sir. Trust him.”

It was a big ask. The lunatic seemed more preoccupied with his travelling zoo than keeping his team alive.

“Tina, there’s a herd of wild goats to your nine, they look calm. If you head to your ten you won’t spook them. Maybe even bring one or two home? We’re running a little low.” Scamander piped up. He continued making suggestions and pointing out wildlife around them. It was almost pleasant chatter, his voice was warm and soothing, it helped them get settled back into the rhythm of patrol. After a steady stream of information Scamander suddenly fell quiet. Percival tried not to find it too off putting as he scanned a rocky outcrop.

“Graves get down.” Scamander’s tone was sharp and all the warning he got. Without hesitation Percival flung himself to the ground. A bullet slammed into the sand behind him and the crack of a gun firing rang sharp through the area. Two subsequent shots could be heard, followed by a scream.

“Shooter eliminated. Everyone stay sharp though.” Scamander announced, his voice terse.

“Scamander?” Percival asked.

“What?”

“Thanks.” there was a beat of silence before Percival continued. “How did you spot her anyway?”

“There was a colony of lesser kestrels nesting on her outcrop. When she moved she spooked them which gave away her position. If she’d been more careful with the wildlife she would have got you.”

It wasn’t a comforting thought. If it had been anyone else but Scamander spotting for them he would be dead. Who knew an almost obsessive fascination with wildlife would save him one day? Percival headed for where the other shooter had been. There was nothing in the area that was of significance, the shooter held no identifying marks to align her with any group Grindelwald’s or otherwise. Percival took in the body, Scamander’s first shot had caught her in the neck, the second in the head. He left her where she was, the wildlife would deal with the body, there was nothing left to do for her.

Their patrol turned up nothing else of interest. They headed back to Scamander’s perch. Percival watched with concealed appreciation as the man seemingly slid effortlessly down the sheer rock face. Part of him wished he’d seen the man clamber up, it was a feat in itself. The dog was still at the top of the perch and by the looks of it there was a large, fearsome looking bird now sitting on the handle of the harness. Percival tried very hard to pretend that this was completely normal.

“Come on then.” Scamander encouraged the dog, “Niffy. Come.”

The dog let out a small whine before disappearing. They could hear the scrape of rocks and an indignant squawk before the dog appears round the side of the rocks and gracefully jumped into the back. Percival wasn’t expecting Scamander to follow. Nobody else seemed disturbed by the fact that the sniper had foregone a seat in favour of slouching next to his newly acquired pet. Percival looked behind him for a moment but the other man was completely lost in his bird and dog. The ride back to the camp was shorter than he’d expected but as quiet as the way out had been. Nobody felt like talking, acknowledging how close they came to losing their Captain after only getting him. Back at camp Scamander was immediately off with his animals without a backward glance. Percival sighed and trudged to their tent. Perhaps the others were right about the relaxed dress code, he had sand in places he never wanted to have it again and as comfortable as his gear was, it was still swelteringly hot. It probably wouldn’t hurt to just have a t-shirt on for the rest of the afternoon.

Dinner was a simple affair but Scamander was nowhere in sight. Percival learnt that the meat was from the herd of wild goats Scamander had somehow managed to procure for the camp. He let the others help with tending to the herd but they were mostly his and each time they ran out of meat it was Scamander who slaughtered, skinned and prepared the goat. It was a small herd but they provided the milk and meat while Queenie would go out to buy vegetables, flour and anything else they might need unless they could grow it. Allegedly Scamander had managed to rig up a little trough where they grew herbs. They’d tried for potatoes but it was far too finicky in the climate and the time it took wasn’t worth it he’d been told. It seemed like an almost ideal set up. Percival gazed at the roof of the mess tent. He’d only been there a few days and he was already getting lax. Theseus would laugh at him if he saw them that’s for sure.

“Where would I find Scamander?” he asked the table at large.

“Probably in the goat tent.” Credence replied. Percival nodded in acknowledgement and left the table. He put together a plate of food and took a glass of water for good measure. The walk to the goat tent was short, he shouldered the flap open with a soft “knock knock”. Percival wasn’t sure what he had expected but it certainly wasn’t Scamander curled up on an ammunitions box, head pillowed on his arms as he leant onto a hay bale. Uncertain how to proceed Percival put the plate and glass down next to the sleeping man’s head.

Scamander’s head whipped up almost as soon as something touched the hay bale. His hand fell to the knife in his belt as he took stock of the man in front of him. Percival for his part had his hands up in front of him, palms open.

“Sorry.” he said and got a shrug in return. “I didn’t see you at dinner, thought you might be hungry.”

Scamander eyed the plate before a small smile turned up the corners of his lips.

“Thank you.” he sounded like he actually meant it. As he ate Percival took the chance to look around. The bird from earlier was sitting on a branch Scamander must have dragged in from a nearby tree. Its wing was strapped and secured. The bird looked incredibly pissed off as it eyed the sand cat and the dog curled up below it.

“He’s beautiful, isn’t he?” Scamander said, eyes awash with wonder as he looked at the bird.

“What is he?” Percival tried to engage in a civilised conversation.

“Imperial eagle.” Newt said with around a mouthful of food. Percival tried not to find it too distasteful. “He sprained his wing. A few weeks of rest and care and he’ll be good to fly again. I couldn’t just leave him there.”

“I suppose you couldn’t, no.” Percival agreed. The bird was indeed glorious, he just wished it wasn’t a temporary resident of a military camp. He couldn’t help but wonder how Scamander had ended up a sniper rather than a vet or anything else to do with animals. That was the moment Scamander gave a wide yawn. Percival couldn’t help but smile. This he was familiar with. He’d worked with enough snipers to know the crash the other man was experiencing. After hours in a hyperaware state where vigilance for the slightest of movements was the norm it was only expected that he would crash. Some did it spectacularly, he couldn’t help but wonder how Scamander coped. Was he the type to sleep for twelve hours straight as soon as possible or was he the kind that needed to run around so his body was as tired as his mind before crashing? Given the fact that he’d tended to Frank, it Percival had to guess he was the latter kind.

“Get to bed Scamander.” he said gruffly.

“Newt.”

“Huh?”

“It’s Newt. You should call me that.”

“Newt it is then.” Percival acknowledged with a small smile. He took the empty plate and glass from the other man’s hands.

“I’ll sort these.” he offered. “Now get to bed. That’s an order.”

Newt laughed softly and shook his head and another yawn took hold.

“Sir, yes sir.”

“Ass.” Percival found himself laughing along as he closed the tent behind them. Perhaps Team Beasts wasn’t going to be quiet as awful as he’d first thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a not very graphic description of an enemy assailant attempting to shoot Percival, Newt takes the shooter out before they succeed. Nobody on the team is injured but the enemy is killed.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still no beta.  
> Still don't own the characters, only the mistakes and typos.
> 
> More action, still no romance. That comes in Chapters 5 and 6.
> 
> See notes at the end for warnings.

The itch was maddening. Percival did everything possible to stop himself from scratching his ankle where a myriad of small red raised bumps had come up over the course of the last few days. He’d ignored it for as long as he could but each morning he woke up to the unbearable burning itch. Even his socks had stopped providing the release of rubbing against the bites and now every time he moved he would become momentarily maddened by the infuriating need to scratch like some street mutt. He’d even surreptitiously looked in the first aid box but there was nothing in there that might be applicable to a bite or sting to soothe it. He was certain there should have been some but obviously it had gone walkabouts.

“You okay there honey?” Queenie asked him over breakfast. No matter how often he told her he wasn’t her honey she seemed relentless with the pet names. Then again she did it to everyone. Percival forced his fist to uncurl and attempted to smile.

“Fine.”

“You sure have a funny definition of fine then.” she shot back with an innocent grin.

“I..uh..I got a couple of bites that itch like no tomorrow. The bloody dog keeps sleeping in my bunk and I think he’s filled it with fleas.” he finally admitted with a grimace.

“Oh dear.” Queenie actually looked sorry for him.

“What’s the problem?” Newt bumbled into the conversation, t-shirt half tucked into trousers and looking like an unkempt mess like usual.

“The Captain has fleas and he thinks it’s from Niffy.” Queenie looked stricken. Realisation dawned on Percival then that she wasn’t sorry for his predicament, she was sorry for his alleged misconception that the damn dog had filled his bed with fleas.

“What?” Newt’s voice was icy as he glared at him. “Niffy doesn’t have fleas. You must have picked them up from somewhere else.”

“That dog keeps creeping into my bunk at every opportunity. Where else would I get them from?” Percival argued.

“I don’t know where you go in your spare time. But Niffy is most definitely not the cause of your problems. She’s a clean dog.” Queenie quietly got up from the table and tried to make herself scarce. Before she could make her escape Credence slouched into the tent just as Percival lost his temper.

“How on earth do you explain then that my ankles are trying to send me an SOS in Braille with all the bumps? It’s your damn dog and I don’t want it in my bed.” Percival roared furiously. Credence stumbled back at the sudden outburst.

“It’s okay sweetie.” Queenie cooed at him.

“I’m sorry.” Credence stuttered out and Newt looked at him abashed.

“Sorry Credence. Graves here thinks that Niffy gave him fleas. We’re not actually arguing.” Newt cut it gently.

Percival looked at the trio thoughtfully. He knew Credence had to have gone through basic training like they all did so he had to be able to cope with combat. Though perhaps it was fighting between those he trusted that set him off. He’ll need to talk to Queenie about that later on. Credence looked between them and nodded before pushing deeper into the tent for breakfast.

“Just for the record,” Newt addressed him stiffly, “you’ve been spending time around the goats, I haven’t had a chance to vinegar wash the newer ones in the separate pen. They might be the cause of your problems.”

Percival grumbled as Queenie nodded along behind Newt. The sniper had managed to inexplicably round up three new goats for their little herd and had them quarantined in a separate makeshift pen. Percival had been curious about the animals and what Newt got up to so had lingered around them asking questions since their arrival. Wherever his flea problem had originated Percival was now going to have to air his things out, wash his bedding and it was going to be a general pain to actually get it done. Curse Newt and his beasts. The man in his thoughts sat down opposite him with a plate full of food. Percival had to wonder how the sniper ate so much yet stayed so slender. Pickett’s appearance on his shoulder wasn’t even worth noting by that point, it was a given fact that the scorpion for some unfathomable reason had decided that Newt was the perfect living habitat and no coaxing onto rocks had dislodged him.

“If you leave a spoon to heat up in the sun and then put it over the bites the heat will help break down the irritant quicker and you won’t suffer as much.” Newt’s peace offering was quiet as Credence plonked down next to him. His plate wasn’t quite as full but the boy still had room to fill out by the looks of things. Percival nodded and glared at his empty plate.

“Captain?” Credence was hesitant and shy, probably still a bit rattled by the earlier incident.

“Yes Credence?” he tried to sound friendly and open. It wasn’t something that always came naturally to him.

“I think I’ve intercepted something overnight about a Grindelwald outpost. Could we schedule a briefing for after breakfast?”

Percival nodded again and made it his mission to find all members of his team to let them know. He could have had Credence do that but he’d just sat down to eat and if he’d intercepted that during the night then  Percival couldn’t help but wonder when the young man had actually slept. Judging by the dark circles under his eyes it hadn’t been recently and definitely not a full night’s sleep either. Newt and Credence were easy enough to tell to meet everyone in half an hour in the main tent. He threw in a half-hearted line about being dressed appropriately but he knew it would fall on deaf ears. Still, he had to try. Tina he found by communications station which was set up on one side of the main tent. Her sister and Jacob however were nowhere to be found. He’d done a loop of the camp, they weren’t by the goats either. He was walking back by the bunks when he heard Queenie giggle which was followed by what sounded like Jacob muttering something. He cleared his throat and a sudden silence fell.

“Jacob, Queenie, I know you’re here.” he said and tried not to roll his eyes. These people were worse than teenagers. Honestly.

“Yes Captain?” Queenie’s voice was only a little strained. The eye roll became unpreventable.

“Meeting in half an hour at the main tent. You’d better be present and decent.” he intoned and hurried back to the main tent. He really didn’t need to hear what the couple got up to. The less he knew the better, it was against regulations after all.

The six of them had gathered in the tent where Credence had hastily compiled notes to hand out along with a projection on the white screen.

“Last night, “ Credence began and suddenly he looked much more confident. He was in his element and he was in charge, “I intercepted communications that could potentially reveal the location of an outpost used by Grindelwald. While it is unlikely that the man himself will be there, the fact that such an outpost exists means that he is probably nearby and amassing forces. As you can see the outpost is likely to be here,” he pointed at the X on the screen, “it is covered on three sides by wadis so approach is exclusively from here.  There are a few outcrops that could be potential sniper nests but Newt you’re probably best to pick your spot. Hopefully if we move within the next day it won’t yet be heavily fortified or well manned. There was chatter on a hidden channel about an undermanned outpost that was recruiting, all evidence suggests this would be it.” Credence finished and handed out the final briefing packets. Everyone was quiet as they took in the information.

“I say we go in today.” Jacob spoke up. Newt hummed as his fingers traced lines on the map in front of him.

“We could do it. It’s only an hour and a half driving from here. The route would be mostly shielded from view.” Tina picked up the thread of thought. “A full frontal assault at this stage, taking them by surprise could work in our favour.”

“Jacob, I could use a few pipe bombs I think.” Newt’s face was scrunched in contemplation. It was an odd request but nobody questioned why a sniper might want bombs with timers.

Percival watched with pride blossoming in his chest as his team worked out the logistics of their attack. He occasionally chipped in with his own ideas but mostly this group of seeming misfits appeared to function seamlessly when given a task. Within an hour they were all settled on a plan of action and they were headed for their gear.

It came as no surprise when Niffy jumped up into the jeep next to Newt who had already relinquished a seat to Queenie in favour of sitting in the open boot.

“Flea bag.” Percival muttered and was caught in Newt’s glare for a moment before he could grin teasingly. The slight blush and bashful smile he got in return was unexpected. Once again Tina drove them and they left the jeep near Newt’s nest. The rest of the team split into two groups. Percival was with Queenie while Tina led Credence and Jacob. They moved silently while listening to Newt set up, occasionally muttering to Niffy about something under his breath. When they got close to the outpost the two teams split. However as they watched there was a surprising amount of activity for such a small base. There were at least 15 people milling round, a few trucks and what looked like a heavy antiaircraft gun. A spotter had obviously noted something unusual as suddenly the outpost burst into activity. A few people rushed towards the cars, others were taking up defensive positions. Percival could have cursed, so much for their surprise assault.

“Uh guys?” Newt sounded hesitant. Percival tapped his comm in acknowledgement. “You are about to have a party.”

Percival couldn’t hold back his sigh. He watched Queenie ready herself for the inevitable fight. On the other side of the path he could see Tina who seemed to be giving a pep talk to her team.

“I have an idea.” Newt cut in, “Just sit tight and stay out of sight.” Percival wanted to argue but the other option was to be woefully outnumbered. They could hear Newt once again talking to Niffy softly, the ripping of velcro and clanking.

“Hold it.” Newt said though if it was to them or to Niffy they had no idea.

“Go on then.” Newt commanded again. Percival turned to look at where the man was stationed. Squinting in the sunlight he could make out a small black form running towards them at full pelt. As the jeep was pulling up close to them Niffy sped past and pranced around the car for a moment before heading towards the outpost. Percival didn’t want to sound like a lunatic but he could have sworn the dog had a few pipe bombs in his mouth. His team pressed into the crevices of rock as they heard the people in the jeep get out. Another jeep rumbled past them, they were now effectively flanked on two sides by the enemy. Percival risked a glance back towards the outpost. Niffy seemed to be dancing around, tail wagging as he went to the heart of the base. He dropped something and a shrill whistle rang through the air. It attracted not only Niffy’s attention but those in the jeeps. Niffy shot back out of the camp back towards Newt as the men from the jeeps all turned as one to where Newt was hidden. Their attention was quickly distracted when a loud boom rocked the ground. Percival whipped his head back to the outpost which was now a flaming inferno. Newt laughed out a whoop as Niffy turned back to the source of the noise. The men who had flanked them were hopping back into their jeeps with panicked shouts and rushing back to the remains of the outpost. It seemed to spook Niffy though who headed back that way too. He seemed to pick something up off the floor and started to hurry back towards them, past the jeeps screeching towards him. Percival frowned at the running dog, he couldn’t quite make out what he was carrying. He just hoped it wasn’t an unexploded bomb. At the last minute Niffy changed direction and headed for Percival and Queenie’s hiding spot. The dog sat proudly in front of Percival and finally his cargo was fully visible. Percival felt only slightly sick at the sight of a somewhat charred arm hanging out of the dog’s mouth. Niffy scooted closer to him with a whine and dropped the severed arm at his feet. Queenie retched quietly behind him.

“He likes you.” Newt’s voice was full of fondness.

“Disgusting mutt.” Percival muttered.

“Don’t be mean.” the sniper teased. “He got you a present.”

“Thank you. You’re still a fleabag though.”

Newt’s laugh was light and filled with joy while it lasted. It was cut off suddenly and everyone tensed. A shrill whistle called Niffy away from them before Newt’s voice was low in their ear again.

“Brace yourselves, you’ve got company inbound.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings (and mild spoilers). Things go boom in this chapter and there is a very mild description of body parts that have been caught in the explosion. To avoid it stop reading for the paragraph that starts:  
> "Go on then." Newt commanded again.  
> What happens after that isn't crucial to the story so you can miss it out!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not beta read.  
> Don't own the character, only the typos and mistakes.
> 
> As usual, heed warnings - minor character deaths, blood and injury in this chapter more in the notes at the end.

“The two jeeps are back. One heading straight between the two teams the other slightly behind. It will likely stop before it passes you.” Newt relayed. Percival wanted to curse. One of the trucks would likely head for Newt’s position.

“The jeep in front has four occupants the other has six. No heavy duty firearms in sight. So not likely to have machineguns. I’ll try take them out but be ready for some very pissed off combatants.”

There was a moment of silence again. Both teams held their breaths as they listened to Newt’s breathing grow slow and even. The crack of a shot echoed on the end of his slow exhale. The jeep at the front lurched to the side, leaking engine fluid. The one at the back barrelled past. Another shot and the jeep veered sharply to the left. The five of the occupants jumped out of the speeding vehicle but the driver flipped with the car. Percival and Queenie were already moving, taking aim at the enemy while Tina and her team did the same. They spread out, Tina and Credence taking refuge behind the flipped car while Jacob ducked behind a large rock. Queenie and Percival held their position, somewhat shielded by the terrain as they lay flat on the ground. Shots and shouting echoed through the air. Newt was picking off the enemy where he could.

“Bugger,” he suddenly said, “more inbound. Time to make a tactical retreat. Jacob wait for my call, fall back behind the cactus at your seven.”

A shot whizzed past Jacob and downed one of the men headed for his position.

“Now Jacob.”

Percival watched as the man dived behind the plant.

“Good. Queenie,” Newt’s voice was low and urgent, “there’s a group of three headed for the upturned jeep. I need you to take out the two on the left. Tina you take the last one who will be on the left for you. Queenie stand up and shoot. Now.”

Queenie was up and shooting as soon as Newt had given the order. Her bullets found their marks and the two on the left dropped. The third one turned but Tina stepped out and the headshot she delivered made Percival appreciate her all that much more suddenly.

“Good. Credence, you can slip round to your five o’clock, you won’t be spotted. Head for our jeep.”

Percival watched the young man quietly follow Newt’s instructions while Tina stepped back behind the relative safety of the upturned car.

“Graves,” the name suddenly grated after all the first names. Percival made a mental note to tell everyone to just drop formalities, “I need you to cover for Queenie. Don’t stand up, can you shoot from your current position?”

“Affirmative.”

“Good. Queenie head to your two in five, four, three, two, one, GO.”

Percival shot at the men rounding the outcrop as Queenie took off from next to him. He knew what Newt was doing, extracting them one by one, taking the most vulnerable away from the fight first. The fewer casualties sustained the better. He grimaced as his gun ran out of bullets. There were still three men he hadn’t accounted for and who knew how many more had turned up.

“Jacob, Tina. You can make a move together. Jacob as you move, please do roll a few more pipe bombs towards Graves’ position. He’ll pick them up on his way back.”

“Ready.” Jacob acknowledged.

“Eight more inbound. This looks to be the last wave. Contact in ten.”

Percival fumbled his bullets and cursed.

“Graves?” Newt asked.

“Fine. Reloading.” he grunted.

“Noted.”

Newt fell quiet again and another crack followed by an explosion signalled that he’d found his target.

“Tina, Jacob move. Quickly.” It was a terse instruction. “Graves help cover Jacob’s six. Once they’re out you grab the explosives on your way to the jeep and throw them as hard as you can towards the camp. It should detonate the rocky outcrop and give us enough time to make out getaway from any survivors.”

Percival watched Jacob roll three bombs towards him as he ran. They never saw the grenade slam into stone where the second team had initially hidden. The explosion and following confusion was enough for Newt to call a full retreat as he shot through the smoke and dust. Percival rose smoothly from his position and grabbed the explosives on the ground. He hurled them back towards the outpost and turned to run. Only he had to stop, on the ground lay Jacob. Blood seeped from his leg where a stray piece of rock had embedded in his thigh. The man was in no shape to run.

“Newt, we have a problem.” Percival bit out as he hauled Jacob up, putting an arm round his waist. “Jacob is down.”

“Jacob?” Queenie was almost shrill of the comms.

“Tina get the jeep to us. Newt you cover and get us out safely. We’ll pick you up on the route back.” Percival didn’t want any arguments.

“Sir.” Tina sounded more level and he could hear the jeep gunning into life. He could hear shots being fired as Newt kept their path as clear as possible. A bullet still slammed into the sand not a metre from them. Percival tightened his hold on Jacob and tried to speed up. The jeep came roaring round for them and spun ready to head away from the carnage as soon as they were on it. Percival dumped Jacob in the open boot and hopped on next to him. His hands found the wound and pressed down eliciting a groan from the man.

“Drive!” Percival shouted at Tina. He needn’t have said anything. The car lurched into motion underneath them as they rocketed back towards Newt. The sniper was down waiting for them as soon as they were clear of the outpost’s line of sight. He jumped into the boot with them, Niffy taking a seat at the front. Newt shouldered Percival out of the way, hands tearing at the fabric of Jacob’s trousers. He pressed a cloth to the wound which immediately turned red.

“Tina we’ll need to stop as soon as it’s safe. We don’t have time to get back to camp.” he yelled over the wind. Tina must have replied but it was lost to the roar of the engine. Queenie’s face was pale as she stared back over the seat at her lover. This was why it was a bad idea to date team members Percival groused. He looked at his team. Credence was next to Tina, casting glances back towards them but also had a gun ready in case they were being pursued. Driving the jeep Tina was one tense line of coiled muscles. Her back was rigid and her motions jerky while Queenie herself was almost spilling over the back of her seat. Next to him Newt had one hand pressed firmly on Jacob’s leg while the other hand, slippery with blood fumbled with his bag. Percival reached over to help open it and got a grim smile of thanks.

As soon as they’d determined they didn’t have a tail Tina slammed on the brakes and brought the car to a halt. She and Credence were immediately out of their seats and rushing to Newt’s aid.

“Credence take his left arm. Tina his right. Graves the left leg’s yours. Queenie you take his head. Here,” Newt thrust his leather belt towards her, “make him bite on this.”

It wasn’t anything new to Percival to see field surgery like this but it still left him feeling slightly rattled. Newt’s assuredness helped calm them all though, clear instructions and expectations gave them a task to focus on. Percival knelt on Jacob’s uninjured leg. From the depths of his bag Newt pulled a bottle of what looked like vodka. It wasn’t his place to judge but Percival’s eyebrows still rose in surprise. Newt poured a healthy dose over the wound before passing it up to Queenie who immediately tipped in to Jacob’s mouth before putting the belt between his teeth. The man willingly gulped down the stuff, it made Percival wince. It meant he knew this was going to hurt. A small box appeared in Newt’s hand.

“Put pressure on the wound Graves.”

He reached to comply and watched as Newt pulled needle and thread from the box along with gauze pads, bandages and a salve. The man went up in his estimation a little more. Despite all his idiosyncrasies he was prepared for almost anything it seemed. The bottle was handed back to Newt who poured the rest over the thread, needle, a few gauze pads, his hands and anything left went in on Jacob’s leg. A hand swatted his away from the injury.

“Hold him down.” Newt announced as he reached for the imbedded piece of rock. Jacob howled around the belt in his mouth as a sizable chunk of rock was ripped from his leg. More blood oozed from the wound before Newt could get to work with the needle. It was probably only fifteen minutes to have Jacob patched up in the back of the jeep but it felt so much longer. Jacob had struggled against each stitch, limbs straining against being held down. Queenie stroked his hair and wiped sweat from his brows while trying to calm him with gentle reassurances. It was quite surprising how quickly and efficiently Newt worked. His row of stitched were even despite the struggling man under his hand. Soon he was applying a salve to the wound and wrapping it firmly. Once he was done he sat back on his heels with a sigh.

“We’ve got antibiotics back at camp. Let’s head home.”

Queenie stayed in the back with Jacob while Newt took her place and Niffy curled up next to him. Everyone looked strained and exhausted beyond what a usual encounter with the enemy in combat situation resulted in. Percival was just thankful that they were all headed back in mostly one piece.

They all settled Jacob in his bunk once they were back. Queenie stayed with him and Newt volunteered to sort dinner out. After scrubbing himself clean Percival was tempted to crash in his bunk but knew that it wouldn’t be fair. Instead he dragged himself towards the mess tent where Niffy was sat outside. Funnily enough his request to keep animals out of the mess and kitchen had been obeyed minus Pickett but that was an almost expected exception. The kitchen area was quiet save for the sound of someone slicing something of a hard surface. The clack of the knife was almost jarring in the silence. Percival found Newt focussing on the onion he was chopping with a frown on his face.

“Need a hand?” he asked. Newt almost jumped and the knife clattered to the floor.

“Sorry.” Percival apologised and reached for the dropped utensil. Newt shook his head with a sad smile.

“Could you start frying these while I chop the meat?” he asked. They worked quietly, elbows occasionally bumping as they moved around. Newt dropped things in the pan while Percival stirred it continuously. At one point Percival had to reach bodily round Newt to grab a cloth and wipe the side down where he’d managed to spill some of the sauce. The other man’s eyes slipped shut before he could regain his control which made Percival pause.

“Thanks Graves.” Newt offered with a small tilt of his lips as he dumped the last of the meat into the pan.

“Call me Percival. Please.” It came out of his mouth without any real thought.

“I’ll think about it. Percy.” The teasing smile was back though and standing as close as they were it was all too easy to eliminate even that tiny gap. The kiss was clumsy, the angle all wrong but Newt still melted into it. His hands wandered to Percival’s waist until a soft “oh” had them springing apart. Tina stood in the entrance of the tent, her cheeks tinted a delicate red.

“I could always come back later?” she offered tentatively. Percival cleared his throat as Newt moved away and smoothed invisible wrinkles out of his shirt.

“There’s no need.” He rushed out.

“I just wanted to see if I could take Queenie and Jacob a bowl but obviously it isn’t ready yet.” She did her best to not stutter but she was visibly uncomfortable.

“Is there a problem Goldstein?” Percival asked, his thoughts wandered back to his first few days at camp when he thought there might be something between Tina and Newt.

“No sir. I’m glad you’ve worked out your differences. That’s all.” A shit eating grin was plastered on her face. “Plus I’ve just won the betting pool, thanks Sir.”

Newt tried not to choke on air behind him as he groaned in resignation. There was no way out of this, saying it was a heat of the moment coming off the adrenaline high sounded like a flimsy excuse and it might mean putting a stop to whatever he and Newt were about to embark on altogether. All things considered Percival didn’t actually want to deny it so he smiled sweetly back at Tina.

“You’re very welcome. I expect a cut from your winnings.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter various assailants are killed (no graphic descriptions!) and one of the team is injured. Treatment of said injury is more graphic, involves blood and "field surgery" to stitch the wound shut.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not beta read.  
> Don't own the characters, only the typos and mistakes.
> 
> Don't think this chapter needs any warnings, let me know if you think I missed anything!

Life at camp had settled into a lull. Jacob was slowly recovering from his injury and everyone else fell into a routine. There were days they went out on patrol, Newt would occasionally turn up with more goats which Percival avoided until he was sure they were flea free and some days they ran drills round the camp. Those were the most enjoyable days. They split into two teams, a team of two defended the prized ball of aluminium which Newt had announced was a dragon egg that once hatched could win them the war. The team of three were tasked with capturing said “egg”. Between Jacob and Newt they’d come up with a range of tools to mimic guns and bombs they could deploy. They’d coloured pellets which would leave an easily removable bright yellow mark on their target in lieu of bullets. It had all been fair until Newt one day shot him with a blow dart. No matter how much he argued Jacob, as their judge, took the sniper’s side and he was declared dead in that round.

Percival found that the day after their raid of the outpost his sheets and clothes had been washed and hung up to dry by the time he’d returned from a trip to the local village with Queenie. Newt had smiled sweetly at him on his return and shrugged.

“So Niffy may have caught a few fleas from the goats.”

It took a lot of effort for Percival to not stick his tongue out in defiant victory at the other man. Instead he settled for swatting him on the backside as he walked by. Things between them had slowly blossomed over time. From the first kiss in the kitchen it had become stolen moments hidden behind tents and share quiet time in their bunk. Much to his surprise Percival’s favourite was curling up in Newt’s bed with him. The other man was like a giant octopus and despite the narrowness of the bunk the two grown men had found that with a little co-ordination they could wrap around each other. While they didn’t go to great lengths to hide their intimacy from the others they didn’t flaunt it either. Tina obviously knew which meant Queenie too who wasn’t one to keep things from Jacob. It just left Credence out of the loop which Queenie had decided was unfair and so while not officially announced, the whole team still knew.

The most curious thing about it all was how the team relaxed around him. He went from Sir or Captain to Graves, very briefly he was Percival and now he was Percy despite his best protests. Even Credence who took the longest to call him anything but Sir became a mouthy little brat. He was a genius by all rights when it came to his area of expertise. Some nights they all crowded round the communications station in a pile on the floor because he had somehow managed to find a radio channel broadcasting either a play or some jazz. As Jacob healed, on the nights that they had music, he would waltz Queenie round the tent to much initial laughter. One spectacular night when soft music filled the air around them Tina not quite subtly nudged Newt with a knowing look. Jacob and Queenie were already swaying in a darker corner of the room. The second nudge had Newt looking at Tina with an annoyed frown before shyly glancing at Percival from under his fringe. For his part Percival chose to pretend to remain oblivious to the silent bickering going on next to him. They were like siblings those two. Tina the bossy older sister sometimes almost bullying the stubborn younger brother who wouldn’t take any crap from her. It was endearing most of the time. The nudges became more pronounced and Newt shifted from where he was kneeling to sit with his legs firmly to the side. The next soft punch to his leg from Tina was met with a swift kick to her shin which resulted in a pinch to his side. Newt squealed and kicked again.

“Children.” Credence piped up from Percival’s other side. He was inclined to agree.

“Percy,” Tina began as Newt threw himself on top of her in trying to slap his palm across her mouth, “Newt was wondering if you’d dance with him.”

It all came out muffled and Newt whined as he flushed scarlet. Percival couldn’t help but laugh at the sight. He pushed himself off the floor and extended a hand to Newt.

“Dance with me?” he murmured. Newt let himself be pulled upright but not before he could dig an elbow into Tina’s side. He was rewarded with a pained groan. Percival chose to ignore it, instead he pulled the sniper flush against him and wrapped his arms round the slender waist. After the initial flush of embarrassment died down in them and their giggles got stifled into soft hums Newt rested his forehead against Percival’s and closed his eyes. They swayed to their own rhythm, the music fading into background noise. Percival found his eyes slipping shut in contentment. The warm puff of a soft laugh brushed across his face.

“You know,” Newt almost whispered, “you have the warmest brown eyes I’ve ever had the pleasure of looking into.”

He looked up at Newt, the other man was only an inch taller than him but at the distance they stood it made him crane his neck a little. Instead of replying he pressed a soft kiss first to the freckled nose then to the dry lips. Newt’s delighted little moan had him flicking out his tongue, wetting his lips. He snuck a hand to the back of Newt’s head, angling him for a deeper kiss. A crumpled can struck his shoulder and fell to the ground with a clatter.

“Get a room.” Credence hollered good naturedly. Percival reluctantly let go of Newt, his ears felt hot with shame. He’d not intended to put on quite a show. Newt’s hand found his and lips ghosted over his ear.

“You know we could. I have a place not far from here.” he joked. With a shy duck of his head and a tug at his arm Newt led the way out of the tent, waving at the others who were catcalling them and wolf whistling. His blush was less visible in the dying sunlight and as soon as the tent flap had flopped back into place Percival was pulling him in again for a kiss. The music was just about audible through the thick materials. Newt’s arms enveloped him in a tight embrace as their tongues licked against each other. Percival was quite glad nobody could see them out there. They pulled each other along between kisses to their tent, Dougal kept a respectful but curious distance from them but even he couldn’t distract them enough from their goal. They stumbled into their bunk amid laughter and kisses. Niffy took one look at them and shot off the bed and out the tent. Percival guided Newt down onto the bed and straddled his legs as he dove in for another kiss. His boot caught the edge of the nest under the bed and Gertrude hissed as she sped out into the evening after Niffy. Percival rested his head against Newts with a huffed mix of laughter and a groan at all the animals interrupting them.

“One second.” Newt gently pushed him away with a hand. He then held a palm up against his shoulder his shoulder. “Come of Pickett.” he cooed. As though by magic the scorpion scuttled into his waiting hand. With his other hand on Percival’s hip Newt leaned over to his bed side table. Pickett didn’t move. Newt gently shook his hand to dislodge the stubborn critter to no avail.

“Now really Pickette. That is most unbecoming.” Newt chided while Percival took fortifying breath. At this angle he could see a sliver of Newt’s side where his t-shirt had ridden up. Despite sharing a bunk and moments of intimacy Percival realised that they’d not really seen each other undressed. Any time they fell into bed together it had been dark. They’d felt every inch of each other, they knew they both had scars, bullet wounds and in Percival’s case his back was a topography of whip licks from his time as Grindelwald’s prisoner. But knowing this and seeing it were two completely different things. He was suddenly struck by a bout of uncharacteristic shyness. It wasn’t as though he expected Newt to see him and push him out of bed in disgust but with a dawning realisation it came to him that he didn’t want to disappoint Newt. He was so caught up in his revelation that he didn’t notice Newt finally convincing Pickett to sit on the rock on his bedside crate and he’d sat up to watch Percival with a fond, shy smile.

“Okay there?” he ventured. Percival snapped back into reality as he sat on Newt’s lap, his thumb absently brushing under the hem of the other’s t-shirt.

“Yeah, sorry.” he apologised bashfully and got a soft kiss in return. One kiss became two then three and then he lost count until fingers skimmed lightly along his side and pushed his shirt up a fraction. It caused him to pause and Newt pulled away with an uncertain, cautious look.

“No?” he asked. Percival had to applaud him, there wasn’t even a hint of disappointment in his voice, it was still warm and caring even though if their roles were reversed he wasn’t sure he could keep such a steady voice. Exploring hands ran down his arms in a soothing motion, away from dubious territory. Percival tried to find his words.

“Yes. Just. I.” he laughed and looked off to the side.

“Worried?” the question was gentle and Percival nodded, relieved at the understanding he found. “Me too.” Newt’s admission was quiet, whispered more to his chest as his eyes slid away from his face. Percival had seen Newt’s arms, the scratches from Frank an addition to the myriad of other scrapes and bruises. He thought Newt was beautiful as he was.

“Why don’t I go first?” Newt suddenly offered, a small hesitant smile graced his lips as he reached for the hem of his own shirt. Percival kissed him quickly to allay any fears before the t-shirt was pulled up in a swift motion and left to fall next to the bed. Percival leaned back to take in the sight. He had been right about the old bullet wound just under Newt’s shoulder. It must have clipped the side of his tac-vest. There was an appendectomy scar on his abdomen coupled with a large serrated scar that ran round his side – probably a knife fight at some point years ago. If Percival squinted he could still make out the dots of uneven stitches, so it was another case of field surgery. He winced in sympathy. What surprised him most though were the couple of tattoos that dotted the unmarred skin of Newt’s chest and arms. They were strategically placed so they wouldn’t even peek out from under standard military clothing. Each major scar had a date next to it, some of them looked like they’d been done by unsteady hands. Percival frowned, he’d known a few of his men to indulge in homemade tattoos while out on a tour of duty and it never struck him as very safe. However, on Newt the wobbly numbers looked almost perfect, they fit him somehow. The curve of his shoulder bore a stallion rearing up in a meadow, it looked majestic. Newt must have noticed his eyes linger on it.

“Theseus and I got one each,” he offered quietly, “mother has a breeding stable back home. His name is Artemis, we grew up together. Theseus had Fido.”

Percival hummed in acknowledgement before his eyes caught on Newt’s chest. It bore three simple letters, not to large but still noticeable. D.N.R. it said. Without realising it, Percival’s hand reach out to trace the letters, eyes seeking out Newt’s with a silent question. He got a shrug in return.

“I just thought it was important that should the worst happen, they won’t try to bring me back.” Again Percival nodded. He let his hands trace seemingly pointless patterns on Newts chest as he slowly leaned in towards the man, his dog tags were warm under his palm. Their kisses were more languid than before. Newt’s hands came up to run over his back before once again settling on the hem of his shirt.

“Still worried?” he teased lightly. Percival rolled his eyes then and yanked the shirt over his head in a smooth pull. Newt wasted no time in laying kisses on the exposed skin and running his hands up and down his back and sides. It fell to Percival to shift them slightly and with a soft push Newt was laying under him, their chests pressed together as they made out like teenagers on the bed. The small rolls of Newt’s hips up against his reminded Percival just why they were there so early in the evening in the first place. He let his hands drift lower and no letting Newt take a breath to even try to protest, deft hands made short work of the belt and buttons. From there it took Newt a moment to get working with him, lifting his hips to let his trousers and underwear be pushed down in one go. They laughed when they realised that they were both still wearing their boots and had to struggle out of them before they could lie back on the bed, completely naked this time. Their joint laughter petered out quite quickly as the kisses became more heated and Percival ground down against Newt. The almost filthy moan he got in return for his efforts made him do it again. Newt broke away from his lips then as his hands help Percival’s hips close to his and pushed up in retaliation. It left his neck bare and it was too tantalising to not nip at. He felt more than heard Newt’s appreciative hum against his lips as he mouthed at the soft skin of his neck. Nails scraped softly down his back before long fingers curled into the short hair at the back of his head and pulled him in for another kiss.

“I’ve got,” Newt began shyly, “I. There’s some ummm oil? Vegetable oil. I stole from the kitchen. It’s under the pillow. If you want that is.”

Percival chuckled darkly and ground down with a smirk before searching under the pillow. It was a small jar with the lid securely tightened at the top.

“You’re always prepared, aren’t you?”

“Well, I was hoping…that…”Newt’s eyes slid down to his chest again in a mumble. Percival took pity and kissed the flustered man. He looked at the small jar and wondered. They hadn’t exactly discussed this, the mutual handjobs and occasional blowjobs never necessitated this discussion before and Percival was once again struck by indecision. He looked down at Newt with a blush of his own.

“Do you have a preference?” he asked. Newt stared at him wide eyed and let out a small nod then shook his head. “Newt?”

“I. Oh. Uhm.” Newt looked lost for words. “I can do either.”

“But?”

“I don’t always enjoy receiving?” It was phrased more like a question. “I mean, eventually I usually do. Just. Sometimes. It doesn’t. Oh I don’t know what I’m saying anymore.”

Percival took pity on the man below him and leant down to kiss him quiet.

“You can open me up then.” he said and got a wide eyed look in return.

“Really? I just assumed that as a Lieutenant-General you’d prefer to be in charge.”

“I think I’m in charge enough to not need it all the time in the bedroom too.” Percival laughed and pressed the jar in Newt’s hand. Their little distraction wilted their arousal so while Newt busied himself with opening the jar Percival slid down his body with a trail of open mouthed kissed. He took a moment to appreciate his view of Newt before letting his mouth close over the other man. It took him no time at all to work Newt back up to full hardness though it meant that Newt was struggling with the jar. Popping off with a satisfied smirk Percival reached for the jar.

“May I?” the jar was unceremoniously thrust in his hand. Percival tipped the open jar and let a small amount of oil pool in his palm before giving it back to Newt. He let his hand trail teasingly along the other man’s shaft while Newt cursed under his breath. Slippery fingers trailed down his chest and along his flagging erection. Percival couldn’t help but buck up into the firm hand when it closed around him briefly for a few tugs before moving further down along his balls then behind them. Newt seemed to delight in taking his time circling his fingers and teasingly pushing softly against his hole. Percival was no blushing virgin but he didn’t think anybody had taken this amount of care with his body before. When a finger finally pressed into him it was a warm stretch and a welcome intrusion. Newt’s spare hand circled his wrist where he’d been almost distractedly stroking the delicate skin of his shaft.

“You don’t want to get me off just yet, do you?” he asked. Percival hadn’t realised his eyes had slipped shut and opened them to look down at the man he was straddling. Instead of answering he leant forwards for more kisses and Newt rewarded him with another finger gently pressing into him. They were quiet from then on, just breathy moans and the sounds of kisses until Newt could pump three fingers easily into Percival who was becoming impatient. His kisses became more demanding, he thrust back onto the fingers desperately seeking more until he couldn’t take it anymore. He tore away from the kiss with a groan and stared down at Newt.

“Please?” he asked.

“Condom? There’s some in my bag.” Newt asked breathlessly.

“I’m clean.” Percival wasn’t sure he could wait and he didn’t want to go searching for a condom now.

“Me too.” Newt sounded relieved.

“Good.” Was all Percival said before he moved away from Newt’s hand. Taking the cue, Newt used what oil was left on his palm to slick himself up and helped guide Percival down onto him. They hissed out a breath as Newt breached Percival, his hands were warm and steady on his hips while the man above him let his palms rest on the broad chest below him. There was still a stretch and a small amount of burn as Percival pushed down onto Newt which added to his arousal. The rhythm he set was erratic, Newt’s hands on his hips gripped tight and encouraged him to go faster. His hands were slippery on Newt’s chest, he shifted and slowed their frantic pace and leaned forwards to capture bitten lips which swallowed his moan as the change in angle meant Newt was brushing against his prostate. They stayed wrapped up in each other for a little while, only shifting hips minutely as the rush of an orgasm took back seat to enjoying the feel of the other. Percival shifted his hips a little more forcefully, more intent behind them as he push himself up onto his elbows to catch his breath. One of Newt’s hands was tangled in his hair while the other drifted down his chest leaving lightly burning trails where his nails scraped across skin. His fingers curled around Percival much to the appreciation of the other man. Once again Percival found himself picking up the pace, his thighs were burning with the effort and sweat clung to his skin in a delightful sheen. Newt pushed up into him, his eyes shut and mouth half forming words which Percival couldn’t hear. His hand faltered around Percival and the other tightened in his hair as his whole body flexed before going lax. Percival let out a small whine, he was so close himself. It took Newt a few breaths to get his bearings before his hand started moving again. Percival pushed down trying to regain the sense of fullness before thrusting back up into Newt’s fist. A couple of tugs later he cried out as he spilt over Newt’s abdomen and hand. It took all his remaining energy not to collapse forward onto Newt in a blissed out heap. A hand at the back of his neck tugged him down anyway and he went willingly. Percival was only going to lay there for a minute to catch his breath and until he could feel his legs again however eventual even breaths lulled him to sleep before he could act on any of his plans. His last thought was that he was definitely going to feel this in the morning.

“Captain!” Tina was calling urgently from outside the tent. The light was just breaking over the horizon. Percival grumbled then grimaced as he and Newt peeled apart, the evidence of last night’s activities caked onto them.

“Captain,” Tina impatiently called again, “I hope you’re decent because I’m coming in to get you out of bed. We have a situation.”

“Don’t come in!” Percival all but growled as he eyed the mess and Niffy staring back at him from his bed. “What’s the problem?”

“We have a lead on Grindelwald.” That had Percival and Newt both rolling out of bed and after a frown Percival shrugged and put his t-shirt on. A shower will have to wait until after they know what’s what. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Newt daintily put his own t-shirt on with a mild look of disgust. Once half way presentable and dressed Percival marched out of their tent and almost bowled Tina over. For her part, the woman didn’t comment at his state of undress and instead just led them to the main tent where the others were already assembled.

“Captain.” Credence looked almost delirious with malicious delight. “I think I know where Grindelwald is.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, not beta read.  
> Still don't own the characters, only the typos and mistakes.
> 
> After last chapter's detour into smut it is back to action. Please read the notes at the end for warnings (and spoilers)!

So they did have Grindelwald’s location. Through some mysterious and only mildly terrifying methods Credence had hacked into their main radio comm and had been listening in all night after the others had all gone to bed. Percival decided not to question it. They were a small mobile unit, just the six of them to plan and organise so it wasn’t more than a few hours before they had a plan in place to hopefully capture or at least take out Grindelwald for good. They dispersed to quickly shower, pack up what they needed and get ready. There was an energy in the camp, the end was suddenly in sight. He caught Jacob and Queenie muttering about a wedding once they’re on home soil. Percival wondered what that would mean for him and Newt but quickly brushed the thoughts from his mind. He had a task to focus on, it wouldn’t do to get distracted by such ideas. They were quick to secure the camp. Queenie, with Credence’s help had sent out a message asking someone to tend to the goats and Dougal while they were gone. Gertrude had sauntered off as she was wont to do while Niffy trailed after Newt with Frank on his back. The bird was healed and Newt had been meaning to release him later on that day. It seemed that the sniper had decided to pool his jobs into one. They loaded up the jeep and were headed out before noon. During the ride Percival had a chance to reflect on the night before and he noticed Newt smirking at him when he sat down and winced. He’d felt, he didn’t want to say sore, but he could definitely feel himself walking ever so slightly different that morning. Damn Newt and his knowing looks. If. No. When they got back to camp and if Newt was willing then he’ll have to show him just how enjoyable switching positions could be.

Jacob had stored his bomb disposal suit in the back next to Niffy. It seemed a little overly cautious but then again they had agreed to be prepared for everything. At any rate Niffy seemed to appreciate the shade it cast for him to stretch out in while Frank had hopped up onto the crossbar and preened in the wind. Not two hours later they had pulled up to a cluster of rocky outcrops. These were taller than their usual patrol area had and the area beyond had sandy dunes rolling for miles. They were on the edge of the true desert now, it felt vast. In the not too far distance they could make out a small cluster of tents. It looks almost nomadic in style and there was very little activity. The chatter had said that despite building a huge fortress to the West, Grindelwald had only done that for show. He was actually stowed in the relative safety of a small compound which moved every few weeks. Percival had to appreciate the genius of the man. It also explained why he never saw the man himself for longer than a few days in a row before having a few days of utter isolation in his cell while he was a prisoner. Grindelwald didn’t like to be in one place for too long – the paranoid bastard. He turned to his team who were all eyeing to small camp with distrust.

“Right, comm checks, then Newt you’re up in your nest. We’ll move as one this time. Tina you take lead, I’ll take the rear. You know the drill people. We won’t be able to surprise them but hopefully the numbers won’t be against us when they engage. Stay sharp.”

Everyone muttered some form of acknowledgement and started fiddling with their ear pieces. Percival watched as Newt almost slithered up the rock face, spotting handholds where he himself wouldn’t have thought to find them. Niffy was clipped to his backpack and the dog patiently dangled without protest. It was a peculiar sight but Percival had really expected no less from the sniper any more. If they weren’t in such a situation Percival would have also appreciated the dark eyeliner Newt had smeared around his eyes to cut out a little of the glare. Perhaps he’d have to ask the sniper to show him in private one day. As one they moved out. Newt called out things he could see from his vantage point, there were no general observations about the wildlife from him. It was all business today, the tension slowly crept up amongst the whole team. The sun was in their eyes and sand blew painfully in their faces.

“Why don’t we try Niffy’s little disruption again?” Jacob asked. Percival pondered the idea for a moment and nodded.

“Newt?”

“I’m sure he will be delighted. Come on mutt.” he murmured softly. As the team quietly advanced on the seemingly oblivious camp they listened as Newt clambered down with Niffy and sent him on his way before scuttling back up the rock face in less than a minute. Niffy tore past them at a full run, tail wagging as he ran. Just as he was about to enter the camp people began swarming out of the tents. It seemed their good luck had run out. Niffy dropped his bombs and began running back towards them. Against the sun it was difficult to see but Newt’s gasp before his shout of “incoming” had them all hitting the ground flat. Percival looked up in time to see someone hurl one of the bombs in their direction. They were too far away for it to do any harm but he could only watch in horror as the edge of the explosion caught the dog running towards them.

“NIFFY!” Newt’s wail over the comms was far too loud, “Niffy, no!” he roared. Percival could only imagine his expression. There was the sound of scrabbling.

“Scamander, stay in position.” he barked. The others looked just as shocked.

“Niffy.” Newt whimpered. They could all hear him sob quietly. “I’m still in position.”

“Good. I’ll check on Niffy. The rest of the bombs seemed to have made an impact. Everyone stay put.”

Percival pushed himself up and cautiously moved to where he’d seen Niffy fall. The dog raised his head with a whine as he approached.

“Hello flea bag.” Percival had to fight back his own tears. Niffy whined at him, head falling back onto the sand.

“He’s alive?” Newt’s voice carried tendrils of hope through his tears.

“I’m sorry Newt. There’s nothing to do for him.” Percival whispered. He stroked the dog’s head as his other hand reached for his gun. “I’ll make it quick.”

Queenie’s sniff mingled with Newt’s shuddered breath. Percival crouched next to the fallen dog, closed his eyes for a muttered apology before he took aim. The single gunshot rang far too loudly in the desert. He took another moment wish Niffy a safe journey to wherever he was headed now.

“Well, that was touching.” a sickly voice broke into the silence.

“Grindelwald.” Percival grit his teeth.

“Oh you remember me Percy. I am honoured.”

“How did he hack our comms?” Credence’s voice cracked in panic.

“Everyone shut up. Radio silence.” Percival commanded.

“Still just as bossy I see.” Grindewald’s voice was saccharine sweet. “Has our time together taught you nothing?”

Percival grit his teeth and got back to his team still lying in the sand. Grindewald sighed in their ears.

“You don’t want to talk?”

More silence as Percival tried to get his team to split.

“Very well. Remember this is your fault.” Grindelwald sounded almost weary.

“Frank, fly. Go!” Newt’s urgent call came as a whistle curved through the air. The team could only watch in silent horror as a missile flew towards Newt’s perch. What struck Percival was that Newt never cursed. He knew the missile was headed towards him and yet he still shooed Frank to safety. The bird soared high into the air with a displeased screech a few seconds before impact. In the explosion they could see Newt fling himself off his perch. There was a crack and a thud on the comms and sharp bitten off cry as the sniper hit the ground. Credence had to be physically held down by Tina. He struggled against her hold in a frantic panic to avenge Newt and Niffy. Suddenly Percival had a new appreciation for the boy. When determined he sure as hell put up a terrifying fight. Short sharp gasps cut over the comm. It was Newt, winded and injured but very much alive Percival noted with relief. He had the whole team start running back towards Newt’s perch and the relative protection of the rocky outcrop.

They rounded the jagged rock with Grindelwald’s voice trickling poison into their ears.

“I think that has your attention now. You know what I’m capable of Percy. This was a warning shot. I’ve done away with your little lizard problem even though I didn’t want to resort to this. I only wanted to talk. This is your fault.”

“Mute comms.” Percival barked as he ran towards Newt. The man was lying on the ground covered in soot and sand. His cheeks were streaked where tears had made the eyeliner run. There were tears in his tac vest but it seemed to have kept him mostly unharmed other than a few scrapes and grazes. The most worrying thing was the angle his leg was crumpled under him. Percival only hoped it wasn’t a compound break. Theseus was going to kill him.

“Queenie, Credence you get him stabalised. Tina, Jacob with me.”

“Percy I know you’re still there.” Grindelwald had started up again. “I want to talk to you about the dragon egg.” Everyone shared puzzled looks.

“Don’t play dumb, it’s not very becoming. How long do you think I’ve been in listening to your comms? I couldn’t have you attack another of my outposts now, could I? You made me look really rather foolish.”

He’d been keeping tabs on them for weeks. The realisation made Tina pale and Credence curse up a stream.

“So, the dragon egg. Your mysterious weapon which will bring me to my knees and end the war. I want to talk to you about it.”

Percival bit back on his laughter and noted that the others also looked like a mix between shocked and amused. Their games of capture the flag had been broadcast to Grindelwald who thought their tin foil egg which they jokingly called a dragon egg was code for some secret weapon. Helpless laughter broke the tension and even Queenie smiled as she worked on Newt.

“Here’s what I propose,” Grindelwald’s words quickly killed off their chuckles, “why don’t you slip into the bomb disposal suit – I’ve got a few surprises planted around the camp, wouldn’t want you hurt now, would we Percy? So put on the suit and come meet me to talk. You have fifteen minutes before I blow your precious team up.”

There was a click and the comms fell silent. Everyone stared at him. It wasn’t like they had a lot of options. Newt was injured, their comms compromised and in all likelihood that meant their camp was too. They needed to end this here and now.

“If I’m not back in an hour or if the comms cut out at any point then you get in the jeep and drive as fast as you can. Salvage the camp, call in to General Scamander to update him. He’ll know what to do.”

“You can’t.” Tina began. A look shut her up.

“Are there any other options Lieutenant?” he barked. Nobody dared answer him so he nodded and went to pull the bomb disposal suit from the back of the jeep. It was a little scuffed from the rubble that had fallen on it but otherwise seemed unharmed. Once dressed he looked over his team with a pang of fondness. He hoped he’d see them again. Without a word he put the helmet on and walked round the rock face towards the enemy camp.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter Niffy makes another bomb run however he doesn't make it. While there's no graphic description of injuries they are implied and Niffy has to be shot to end his suffering.  
> Also a character sustains moderately serious injuries - again nothing graphic but if you are sensitive to falling from heights and broken bones then just be careful.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not beta read.  
> Don't own the characters, only the typos and mistakes.
> 
> As always see notes at the end for warnings.

The suit was heavy and warm. The sun in Percival’s eyes didn’t help. He could hear over the comms as Queenie and the others helped Newt. His leg was definitely broken but thankfully it wasn’t a compound break. They muttered quietly to each other, though as Percival imagined they mostly communicated with silent signals. The less Grindelwald knew of their situation now the better he mused. A screech overhead caught his attention. It seemed that Frank was still hovering around. Percival’s step faltered as he strained his neck to see the bird. Up ahead the camp looked quiet. Niffy’s bombs had destroyed a few of the tents, only two remained upright. There was a few bodies lying around the tents and none seemed to be moving. Percival wondered which tent Grindelwald had sequestered himself in. Sweat trickled down his back as he walked.

“You know Percy,” it was Grindelwald again, “I always wondered. Did you ever miss our time together? I know I did.”

Percival grit his teeth and pressed on. He wouldn’t give the bastard the satisfaction of rising to his bait.

“You always did scream so pretty.”

He ignored the fact that the others could hear Grindelwald too. There was nothing he could do about it. He’d never spoken about his ordeal as a prisoner, it went unsaid that what was in the past stayed there. If he didn’t want to (or couldn’t as the case just might be) talk about it then it was nobody’s business to ask. The higher-ups had deemed him fit for duty and that was going to have to be enough for his team.

“Do you ever miss the whip?”

More silence.

“Do you ever touch yourself and remember me? My fingers, my d-”

“No.” he cut the other man off. Bile rose in his throat at the memories. The others on the comm had gone suspiciously quiet. He wanted to spare them any more details of his tenure at Chateaux Grindelwald. “What did you want to talk about that you couldn’t say over the comm anyway?”

“Now that would be ruining the surprise.” the silky voice laughed. Percival grunted and carried on walking. He was almost there now anyway. It was almost anticlimactic when someone kicked his legs out from behind. Percival crashed to the ground with a grunt and the comm cut out just as he heard Tina pipe up. Within a minute he was dragged into the smaller tent where Grindelwald sat with a smug smirk.

“Welcome home Percy.” he cooed. Percival sneered and looked away. “Don’t be like that darling. I only want you safe.”

That caught Percival off guard. Safe? What was the madman planning on doing to his team?

“Now don’t panic. I need you to get out of that cumbersome suit and sit here in this chair. Talk to your team. Pretend you’re on your way back. You could even tell them you killed me.”

“I will, but only once I’ve actually killed you.” Percival snarled and got a delighted laugh in return.

“That’s the spirit darling. Now, if you don’t give me that suit immediately and do as you’re told I’ll send another missile at your team. This time they won’t be quite so lucky as your darling Newt.”

Begrudgingly Percival peeled himself out of the suit, sat at the table and began to talk.

“Apologies for that.” his voice was clear once more on the comm and Tina relaxed. Whatever the odd stumble and dropped contact had been seemed to have resolved. “I’m making my way back now, Grindelwald had been dealt with.”

Newt looked at Tina confused. He motioned to Credence to mute the comms.

“I don’t like this,” he confessed, “get me round the other side. I want to see him come back.”

Tina wanted to argue but Newt’s instincts were rarely wrong. Instead she nodded to Credence and Jacob to help him move. Percival was still talking intermittently. Out in the distance Tina could see a figure moving towards them in the desert. She checked Newt was comfortably settled in as he sat leaning against the rock. His rifle was next to him on the ground as he squinted out into the desert. She nodded at Credence and the comms went live again.

“Please have the jeep packed and ready to leave once I’m back.” Percival instructed.

“Sir, shouldn’t we burn the camp down?” Tina asked. There was a delay in Percival’s reply.

“No, leave it as a sign for all others to know that Grindelwald is dead.” The answer surprised the team. It wasn’t like their captain at all for such flair of dramatics. The figure lumbered closer to them through the sand. The bomb suit protecting the occupant from prying eyes. Tina stood next to Newt and watched. The others crowded round them as well, each of them anticipating the return of their captain and friend.

“Is it him?” Tina asked anxiously.

“Not sure.” Newt’s voice had a far-away quality to it, his eyes zeroed in on the figure approaching them. “The suit makes it difficult to say. He’s still got the slight limp from his knee. Same posture. His arms swing the same as before. Looks like…”

 Nobody expected Newt to suddenly shoulder his rifle and take two rapid shots at the figure that was almost upon them.

“Newt!” Tina cried out in disbelief. The silence on the comms was stunned.

“Did,” Percival’s voice piped up surprisingly clear, “did you just shoot me?”

“It wasn’t you.” Newt said.

“Thank fuck.” Percival’s voice sounded distant and they could hear a scuffle over the comm and a gun shot.

“Right,” Percival sounded winded but closer again, “secure Grindelwald who is in the bomb suit. I’ll be back as soon as I can. Please don’t shoot me on the approach.”

Tina and Jacob immediately descended on the figure writhing on the ground. In the distance another figure began to jog towards them. It took a mere few minutes to have Grindelwald bound and gagged in the jeep, flanked by Jacob and Queenie. The man tried to leer at Queenie and got a sharp slap to the cheek for his efforts while Jacob “accidentally” leant on his injured knee. By the time they’d loaded their captive into the jeep Percival had managed to get to the rocky outcrop, his shirt clung to his sweat soaked back and he was out of breath. There was a bruise forming along his jaw but otherwise he looked unharmed. He and Credence moved Newt into the back of the jeep with as much care as they could. They still managed to elicit a hiss of pain as they hefted him over the bumper. Percival settled in next to Newt while Credence took a seat next to Tina who drove them. In the rear-view mirror she could see the tents of the camp go up in flames.

“There was nothing valuable in there.” Percival shrugged as he spotted Newt’s gaze. “You okay?”

Newt nodded mutely, his face was drawn gaunt in pain. Percival wished he could do something for the other man but he wasn’t a miracle worker. He could however distract him.

“How did you know it wasn’t me anyway?”

A sly smirk spread over Newt’s face as he flushed a delicate pink. Percival waited patiently for his answer. Instead Newt beckoned him closer. Once within grasping distance he pulled Percival down so his lips brushed against the shell of his ear.

“I almost didn’t. Grindelwald had obviously studied your walk, even had your barely noticeable limp perfected. However you’re walking funny from last night. He couldn’t mimic that.”

Percival flushed bright red at the thought as Newt let him go and threw his head back in a laugh. Queenie peered over her shoulder at them with a smirk despite there being no possible way for her to have heard.

“So that’s the dragon egg that brought Grindelwald to his knees.” Newt said more loudly and barked out another laugh.

Back at the camp things moved alarmingly quickly. Credence and Percival called HQ with news of their prisoner. Jacob and Tina began to dismantle the camp while Queenie and Newt sat guard over Grindelwald. In a matter of hours the bunks were flattened, Percival had packed Newt’s scraps of paper with great care into a bag. He took a moment to scan a few of them and found them to be notes on the wildlife he’d encountered. By the time the helicopters landed to take them home the whole camp was flat, they had their bags by their feet, the goat herd had been released back into the wild. A local family took Dougal in quite happily. Newt scratched the donkey a teary farewell and let Pickett crawl onto the grey fur. Nobody mentioned the tears that spilled over and Percival kissed him softly in apology.

The journey home was going to be long. There was a lot to still be done, Newt needed to recover, Jacob and Queenie had a wedding to plan and of course they still needed to have a trial for Grindelwald. Still, they were homeward bound and mostly whole, objective accomplished. What more could Percival want? He stole another kiss from Newt for good measure before leaning against the wall of the helicopter and shutting his eyes for some well deserved sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a momentary reference to past non-con between Grindelwald and Graves at the beginning of the fic. If you want to skip it then start reading from the paragraph starting:  
> "Now that would be ruining the surprise."  
> Other bits to be wary of - someone gets shot in this chapter, though nothing graphic or gory. Also passing mentions of dead bodies.


End file.
